


Uncertainty is Still Hope

by Soro



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slice of Life, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-11-22 07:23:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20870408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soro/pseuds/Soro
Summary: A University AU focusing on Connor and Markus going from strangers/classmates who never talk to friends to lovers.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTICE: 
> 
> This is a re-upload of a previous fic. I wanted to make a few changes though after getting a better idea of what I was doing with this piece. So if you've already read Chapter 1 please re-read it again just to make sure you aren't too confused later on (the changes are subtle but important in the long run). So please enjoy and leave a review telling me what you think!
> 
> I'll also be uploading Chapter 2 in about an hour so there is some new content to go along with the old stuff.

Markus was screwed. Like, really screwed. He knew he shouldn’t have procrastinated so long on his research paper, but it was the least of his worries a few days ago when he had three other assignments due. And now, he was paying the price. He took the stairs two at a time, deciding the elevator was the slower choice as he made his way to the third floor of the library.

He rarely went to the third floor, normally opting for the quiet study on the second floor, but he saw what was hopefully his destination as soon as he left the stairwell: a wooden table with a white pop-up. Even better, someone was sitting at the table. Markus quickly made his way over.

“Hi, are you one of the writing assistant people? I have an eight-page paper due tomorrow morning and I really need your help. I also, maybe, haven’t started yet.” Saying everything out loud, along with the fact that he hadn’t slept more than a few hours in total over the last three days, did not help his building panic. 

The guy at the table had looked up from the book he was reading when Markus started talking, but his neutral expression hadn’t changed throughout Markus’s explanation.

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Uh, no? I’m sorry, I didn’t know I needed an appointment.” The panic continued to rise. The assistant raised an eyebrow and Markus shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“You don’t need an appointment, but it is highly recommended to schedule ahead to make sure someone is available.” The raised eyebrow went down, “Luckily, I do not have any appointments currently scheduled.”

Markus felt all the tension leave his body as he sighed in relief. 

“So you can help me?” When the other nodded, Markus smiled and sat down across from him.

“Thank you so much. This paper is a big deal and I really don’t want to mess it up.”

“Is this the Politics of the EU paper on populism for Dr. Schmidt?” 

Markus blinked.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“I am in the class as well.”

“Oh.” Markus felt a little bad about not knowing that. The class wasn’t that big to begin with, only about 30 students, and then half of them dropped after the first exam and a few more after midterm grades were released. Now, their numbers dwindled to about ten.

“Your name is Markus, correct?”

“Yes, and I feel bad for not knowing your name.”

“My name is Connor. Now, you have about 17 hours until class starts at ten, so we should get started. What country did you choose and how much research have you done?”

“Oh, right.” Markus quickly got out his laptop and unlocked it before taking out his notebook.

“I’m doing Hungary, and I think I have all the research stuff done, it’s just actually writing it that I still need to do. Of course, I’m also getting hit with a bad case of writer’s block which is…. fun. I have a title typed up though!”

The side of Connor’s mouth quirked for a brief moment as he nodded. “A good first step. And since you have your research done, the rest should be simple, even with writers block. What I want you to do is create your headings now. They don’t have to be headings you use in the final draft, but simply sections that will help you divide what you know into smaller pieces.”

Markus must have looked as confused as he felt because Connor gently waved a hand and continued. 

“Some examples would be an intro heading, then a history one, and then modern day, etc.”

That made a lot more sense. Markus nodded and began creating headings. He came up with five, including the introduction and conclusion paragraphs, and turned back to Connor, who had pulled out his own laptop. Connor didn’t look up from the screen as he continued his instructions.

“Now, divide your collected research and whatever else needs to be said into those sections. It is normally easiest to simply use bullet points to get the broad ideas down. Refining them will come later.”

That sounded simple enough. However, it took Markus over an hour to sort through all his notes, collect sources, and type up all of his bullet points. By the time it was over, he already had nearly five pages and was starting to feel confident that he could finish a decent paper in time. 

“Okay, what’s next?” Connor glanced up from his laptop, but didn’t pause his typing. 

“Now, you can go through each section, and turn those bullet points into detailed sentences. In other words, you will start actually writing your first draft.” 

“Got it.” As Markus started to begin the actual writing process however, he fumbled. He would write a few sentences, delete most, try to rewrite others. The writer’s block was still kicking his ass. He sighed heavily.

“I’m still having trouble writing.” Connor stopped typing and made eye contact with Markus.

“What is the issue?”

Markus groaned and gestured toward his screen.

“Nothing is flowing well. I know what I’m saying, the bullet points are helping, but the actual structure of the paragraph makes it seem like a third grader is writing this essay.” Connor raised an eyebrow at Markus.

“It does not have to flow well; you just have to get the thoughts out. We will go over it and smooth out any issues once you actually have something down.” 

That…. made sense. Markus nodded and began retyping up his sentences, doing his best to ignore how awful it actually sounded when he read more than one sentence at a time. 

Markus began to hyper focus on the paper, not noticing the hours go by. He barely registered it when Connor got up and briefly stood behind him, watching the screen as he typed. He wanted this paper to be done and turned in, and he’d never have to think about the populism within Hungary ever again. At least, not until the presentation that he’d have to give on his paper to the class. 

Finally, he got to the end of the conclusion paragraph. The paper as a whole was still a little over a page short, but he hoped Connor had a trick or two for that. Or, hopefully, the editing would take care of it so Markus wouldn’t have to stress too much about it. 

Cracking his knuckles, Markus glanced at the time to see he’d been writing for hours and it was nearly midnight. Shit. Connor still sat across from him at the table, most likely taking notes considering how he’d stare at his laptop and occasionally pause to write something down in the notebook beside him. It wasn’t until Connor glanced up and met Markus’s eyes that he realized he was staring.

“I’m done.” God, his brain wasn’t working properly. 

“Alright, I can take a look at it and make suggestions for editing if you want to take a break.” Markus felt his shoulders sag in relief at the thought of being able to stretch before his brain finally started working again.

“Wait, why are you here?” Both of Connor’s eyebrows went up. 

“I am helping you write your paper.” 

“No, I know that, I meant,” Markus’s brain was still lagging and he had to pause to think of the way he wanted to word his next thought, “Why are you still here. It’s almost midnight.” Connor’s eyebrows didn’t fall.

“I am still helping you write your paper.” Markus didn’t know how to respond. He almost asked again in a different tone the same question, but realized he’d probably just get the same response. He really didn’t want to just circle the same sentences at each other. 

“Hasn’t your shift ended?”

“I was done working at five.” Markus had made it to the library a little before five. Meaning, Connor’s shift probably ended right as Markus was asking for his help on the paper. His eyebrows drew together as he connected his thoughts.

“Wait, so you’re just helping me write my paper out of the goodness of your heart?” Connor’s face finally went back to a neutral expression.

“You seemed on the verge of a panic attack. I would rather help you write a paper, which I know is challenging despite your topic being easy, than risk you having a nervous breakdown.” Markus knew he was making a stupid, scrunched up face, but he was too sleep-deprived to care. He never felt so grateful towards someone – though that was probably also the sleep-deprivation. 

“Well, can I repay you? I can go grab us some coffee and food from the café if you want.” Connor tilted his head before nodding.

“I will accept that. I have no preferences or allergies in terms of food, so I will leave the choice up to you. In the meantime, I will review your paper.” Markus nodded and grabbed his ID before heading towards the elevator. The café was just across the Quad from the library and would take less than five minutes to walk to. He didn’t even notice the lights of the café were off until he tried to pull the door and found it locked. He pulled again, just in case, and when the door still didn’t budge he pressed his face against the glass to see if anyone still remained inside. No one appeared to be there. 

Groaning, Markus stepped away from the door and checked his phone to see the time was five after twelve. The café closed at midnight, meaning he wasn’t getting coffee. Not wanting to go back to the library and knowing he needed caffeine to make it through the night, Markus tried to think of anywhere else he could get coffee; food was considered a bonus. 

Feeling despair after realizing that most places that served coffee would be closed, Markus took a few steps back towards the library before remembering he was an adult, with his own apartment (technically it was the school’s but he was paying for it), with his own coffee and food, on campus. 

Starting at a brisk walk, Markus made it halfway to his apartment before speeding up his pace to a light jog. He didn’t know how long it would take Connor to look over his rough draft, and Markus didn’t want to keep to keep him waiting any longer then he had to. Especially since Connor was actually doing him a huge favor.

Markus opened the apartment door to find Josh sitting at the small dining table across from the doorway, reading a book with a highlighter in hand. If Josh was reading in the common area that meant Simon had to be in bed already as the two shared a room. Markus didn’t say anything as he immediately went into the small kitchen and grabbed two mugs, their container of instant coffee, and a box of energy bars. Shoving the energy bar box into the front pocket of his sweatshirt, Markus put the coffee in the larger mug and grabbed two spoons before speed walking out of the kitchen. 

Josh called out after he walked past him, “Hey, Markus, you okay?” He didn’t stop as he opened the front door to leave.

“Yup, just going to have to pull another all-nighter. Don’t wait up for me.” 

It was hard to move at a pace faster than a walk with his load, but Markus attempted it as he made his way back to the library. It was nearly 12:30 by the time he was riding the elevator up to the third floor, and the library seemed to be mainly deserted. Despite this, Connor was still at the table where Markus left him, looking intensely at the screen of Markus’s laptop. He didn’t look up as Markus put the spoils of his journey on the table.

“Café was closed so I had to improvise. I hope you like energy bars.” 

Connor didn’t pause in his reading as he replied, “I told you I had no preference for the food.” The words weren’t spoken harshly, so Markus didn’t dwell on them as he scooped instant coffee into the mugs. Grabbing the mugs again, he made his way over to a water dispenser and pushed the ‘Hot’ button, making sure to hold the mug close enough to the nozzle that the water didn’t splash. After both mugs were filled, he went back to the table and stirred both to make sure the coffee dissolved properly before placing one next to Connor. 

Sitting back down, Markus blew on his coffee before taking a sip. The little amount he drunk did nothing to ease his exhaustion, but it was still too hot to drink more than a little at a time. However, the energy bars didn’t require temperature control and Markus could feel his stomach ache at the thought of food. He scarfed down two bars before Connor spoke up.

“I believe I am done, if you would like to take a look. If you are confused by any of my notes, do not hesitate to ask for clarification.”

Mouth full of energy bar, Markus simply nodded before pulling his laptop around to face him. Connor had made a lot of notes in the relatively small amount of time he had to look over the entire paper. All of them were simple, yet Markus wasn’t confused by what was being expressed. 

Coffee now cool enough, Markus chugged it before getting to work. He barely noticed the hours drifting by as he made his way through the editing. There wouldn’t really be time for another draft or more editing, so he took his time and did his best to make sure everything was as decent as he could make it. Connor made him a fresh cup of coffee while he was busy and Markus nearly cried. Luckily, he managed to keep the tears in as he thanked him. 

By the time Markus was halfway done with editing, it was a little after three. Connor appeared to have fallen asleep sitting up, but opened his eyes when Markus didn’t resume his typing. 

“Is there a problem?” 

“You know you can go home if you want, right? I think I have something good enough to finish and submit.” Connor tilted his head slightly.

“I was planning on reviewing it one more time to make sure there are no big errors before you submitted and printed it.”

“Oh. Well, thanks.” Markus didn’t understand why Connor had such an investment in his paper. It would at least get him a ‘C’ at the state it was now, possibly a ‘B’ when he finished editing. Considering the difficulty of the class and the fact Markus had just started the paper, that was a decent grade in his mind. Too tired to think about it too much, or to argue that Connor should just let him finish and submit the paper after this, he got back to work. 

It was nearing six o’clock when Markus finally finished the edits. Connor had pulled his laptop and a notebook out and was doing homework for… math? Markus didn’t have enough brain energy to try to figure out what Connor was doing, especially if it involved numbers. 

“I’m done with fixing things.” Connor looked up and moved his stuff aside and Markus turned his laptop around. He felt himself dozing off as Connor scrolled through what was written, occasionally clicking and typing something. 

“I simply made a few edits myself, as we are running out of time. I believe it is good enough to be considered finish, if you are happy with the end product.” Markus jolted up as Connor began to speak. 

“Yes, I am so ready to be done with this paper.” He didn’t bother to check the edits Connor made, instead opting to save the file and upload it to the online plagiarism checker. Now, he just needed a paper copy and everything would be wonderful. 

He packed up everything, leaving his laptop and the dirty mugs out so he could carry them in his hands. Connor quickly put his belongings away and waited as Markus cleaned up. 

“I will walk down with you. I heard the printers were not cooperating today and want to make sure you are able to print the paper.” 

“Wait, what?” The printers couldn’t be broken. They were crucial to the university, people needed them.

“Printers at schools aren’t allowed to take days off.” Connor gave him an indecipherable look at that remark. 

“If there are any issues, I have my own printer. You can send me the file and I will print it out for you.” Sleep deprivation was killing him and his emotions, Markus decided as he blinked back more tears. 

“Connor, you are the nicest person I know. And I know a lot of nice people, so consider yourself the new top nice person at this school.” Connor looked taken aback by such a response, quickly turning to lead the way to the computer lab on the ground floor. 

“I am… simply helping out a classmate not fail an assignment. I also highly doubt Dr. Schmidt would fail you if you were unable to turn in a paper copy of the assignment as he is not as harsh as some may believe. You managed to turn in the electronic copy, and that would suffice for the time being for him.” Connor held the door to the lab open for him and Markus made his way to the corner with the printers.

“Still, I know if I was on my own right now and the printers didn’t work, I’d cry. Right here in the computer lab. The librarians would come back and just find me curled up on the floor, crying and/or sleeping. Probably both.” Markus set his laptop on the table next to the printer and pulled the file back up.

“I cannot tell if you are serious or being dramatic.” 

“Both.” Markus successfully connected to the printer and hit the ‘Print’ command button before waiting. Nothing happened. He attempted it again, waiting a few seconds in case the machine merely needed some time to wake up. No response. He tried connecting to the other printer to see if it worked. It also remained silent. 

“It seems there are still issues with them.” 

Markus sighed and turned to look at Connor. 

“Are you sure you don’t mind printing this out for me?” 

“Yes.” 

“Connor, you are a life-saver and now, I am forever in your debt. I would give my life for you.” 

“Now you are being dramatic. Pull up your email so the file can be sent to me.”

“I’m only being a little dramatic.” Markus logged into his school email, created a new email, and typed ‘Connor’ into the recipient’s bar. A list of names popped up and Connor gestured slightly with his head as he clarified, “Stern.” Selecting his email address, Markus quickly uploaded the file and sent it to him. 

“I’ll arrive to class fifteen minutes early; I can give it to you then.” 

Shoving his laptop into his backpack and picking up his mugs, Markus turned back to thank Connor again to find him already out of the computer lab and heading for the main entrance of the library. Running to catch up to him, Markus flinched as the mugs in his hand clinked together dangerously. Simon would kill him if he broke one. 

It was still dark outside, and the lights illuminating the campus were barely efficient enough to light up the walkways, let alone any other areas. Glancing around, Markus barely caught the sight of who he guessed was Connor turning around the corner of a building. Knowing the only path that way led off campus, Markus sighed and realized he’d just have to thank Connor again when he saw him before class.

The exhaustion faded away as Markus walked to his apartment, the cold November air waking him up along with a small adrenaline burst from realizing his paper was done and he had an assignment free weekend ahead of him after classes were done. 

Once Markus unlocked the apartment door, he immediately entered and collapsed onto the couch just to the right; dirty mugs were placed on the coffee table and backpack next to the couch. His first class was Politics of the EU, so that gave him about an hour or two to nap. Setting an alarm, he barely registered putting his phone down before falling asleep. 

When he woke up, he had a blanket over him and he could hear someone in the kitchen. Most likely Simon as he had the best sleep schedule of the three. Groaning, Markus rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands before getting up. His back ached, but aside from that and the exhaustion, he had little repercussions for falling asleep on the school-provided couch. 

Simon poked his head out of the kitchen. “Do you know where the coffee is?”

Markus groaned again as he cracked his back. 

“Yeah, it’s in my backpack.” He reached over and got out the container, handing it to his roommate. 

“Do I want to know why you commandeered our entire supply of coffee?”

“Let’s just say it has something to do with me falling asleep on the couch.” 

“Ah.” Simon went back into the kitchen, and Markus finally stood up to make his way to the bathroom after grabbing his towel from his bedroom. He desperately needed a shower, even just to help him prepare for the day ahead.

Feeling better, and a little more awake, after washing off the dirt from yesterday, Markus made his way to the kitchen. Simon had likely left already for his morning classes and Josh normally didn’t get up until after ten on Fridays. He still had over an hour before he had to leave and he was hungry after barely eating yesterday. Deciding to go for something easy to make, he started the kettle and picked out two packets of instant oatmeal. 

With his breakfast done in under five minutes, Markus was feeling pretty good, and his mood only got better as he finally got some decent food into his stomach. He spent the remaining hour catching up on news updates his phone received. The UN reports were particularly troubling and he only skimmed them and noted a few to read later. He hated starting his day on a sour note and reading about the support system in Yemen failing was definitely going to dampen his mood. 

With the time nearing 9:45, he put on his shoes, made sure he had everything he needed, and made his way to class. Luckily, the campus itself was small so it only took him about five minutes to get to Boel Hall where most of the social science, and thus his, classes were held. With it still being early and in-between class times he only passed by a few people during the trek. 

Entering the classroom, he spotted Connor on the opposite side towards the windows. That explained why Markus never really noticed him; they sat on opposite sides of the room and Connor sat a row behind Markus, outside of his peripheral vision. Connor was gazing out the window and didn’t seem to notice him enter, even as Markus began to make his way over. 

Looking at him, if Markus hadn’t known that Connor spent all night in the library with him, he never would have guessed that the other got less than a full eight hours of sleep. Compared to his own attire which consisted of one of Josh’s old sweatshirts and worn-down jeans, Connor looked more like a professor than a student with a crisp button-down, pressed slacks, and slicked back hair. 

“Good morning!” Markus winced slightly as he realized he had nearly shouted the greeting, but Connor didn’t seem perturbed as he turned away from the window to face him. 

“Hello. I have your paper with me,” with this he pulled a stapled pack of paper out from under his laptop and handed it to Markus, who happily grabbed it. 

“Thank you so much again for all your help with this. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to write a paper this good on my own.” 

Connor’s expression didn’t change as he replied, “I don’t know about that. I simply offered a few pointers, you did all of the writing yourself.” 

“Still, I really appreciate you staying up all night to give me those pointers.” Markus smiled, hoping Connor would see just how grateful he was. However, based on the neutral expression he was receiving in return, it wasn’t working. 

“You’re welcome.” 

“So… what country did you do your paper on?” Markus didn’t want to just go to his seat and sit in silence while waiting for others to arrive. 

“Sweden. I am presenting today, so I would prefer if you reserved your questions about it until then.” 

Markus had almost forgotten they also had to present their papers. He would have to double-check when he signed up, but he knew it wasn’t that day so he pushed the thought of it out of his head. 

“Right. I suppose you already know all about my presentation.”

“Yes. I was aware of Orban and his relation to populism through my own research, but I was surprised at the level of nationalism within Hungary. However, considering it is an ex-Soviet state who used to be an empire, I suppose I shouldn’t have been so surprised. It also seemed a great example of Pirro’s and Taggart’s theory on the rise of populism, which I found fascinating.”

“Same, I didn’t realize until I was organizing some of my research how well Hungary supported their theory. I mean, the economic instability, nationalism, and influx of refugees hit all of their points and were the main reasons I found for Orban and his party rising to power. Well, that and the whole ‘we lied’ scandal with the socialist party.” 

“Excuse me.” Markus stepped closer to Connor’s desk to allow someone to pass behind him. He hadn’t noticed others had started to arrive and realized there were only a few minutes until class started. 

“Anyways, good luck on your presentation.”

“Thank you.” Markus smiled again at Connor before turning away to head to his seat, stopping to put his paper in the steadily growing stack of papers on the front table. Dr. Schmidt entered as Markus was beginning to sit down. 

“So, I received lots of panicked emails this morning….” As class began, Markus felt himself start to doze off, but did his best to stay awake as presentations started. The girl next to him went first, presenting on Portugal. He was a little confused as she spent most of the time talking about the interworking’s of the Communist party as opposed to the rise of populism within the country, but other than that he focused mainly on making sure he had good notes. It was just like Dr. Schmidt to add in information from the presentations to the final. 

Connor went next. Unlike the girl before him, he didn’t use a PowerPoint, instead opting to stand in front of the class with a note card and simply lecture. It was a little harder to take notes without a visual, but Markus liked listening to him speak. Connor’s voice was pretty soothing, despite being incredibly monotone, and he spoke slowly as if he was thinking carefully about the words he was choosing. After Connor was someone from the back of the classroom presenting on Luxembourg, which unsurprisingly had little populism, thus the presentation was mainly about why there was a lack of such. Markus definitely fell asleep for a few minutes during Luxembourg, but he didn’t worry too much about it. 

The last few minutes of class was Dr. Schmidt listing those who were to go the next time they had class, Monday, and asking them to make sure they had their papers turned it. Markus went up to him after class and confirmed he was presenting Wednesday should everything go according to plan. 

“And Markus,” he paused on the way out, “make sure you get some rest. You’re looking pretty haggard.” He must look like death if Dr. Schmidt was telling him to take it easy. But, taking it easy was what he planned to do that weekend so there were no worries there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, minor but important changes. I'm also guessing there will be about 15 chapters but the number may change.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter did not end up how I planned and that's all I'll say on that. Also Josh is probably my favorite character so he'll definitely be showing up more than he normally does in DBH fics.

When Wednesday had finally arrived, Markus was feeling pretty confident about his upcoming presentation. Taking a few steadying breaths beforehand, he managed to get through it relatively easily. At the end of class, once all the presentations were finished, Dr. Schmidt got up to speak.

“Just a reminder, your final is two weeks from today starting at 10 AM. It will be the same length and format as the previous two exams and non-cumulative, but your time to complete it will be doubled – as usual. This means that, hopefully, these will be the best exams you turn in this term and I will be taking the extra time into consideration when grading. We’ll end a little early today, so I’ll see you Friday where we’ll continue going over the Eurocrisis.”

Sighing, Markus haphazardly shoved his belongings into his backpack. He was dreading the final and what it might do to his unstable grade. Trying to do the mental math of what he needed to get on his paper and the final to pass the class, he didn’t notice when someone stopped at his desk until they began to speak.

“Hey Markus, I was thinking of getting a study group together for the final and was wondering if you wanted to join.” He looked up to see Jona, the girl who sat in front of Connor.

“Uh, yeah, sure. What time were you thinking to meet up?”

“Hopefully once next week and then the Tuesday before the final, but it also depends on people’s schedules. That way, if someone can’t make one meeting then they can make a different one. Times right now are looking to be in the afternoon or evening.”

“Alright. Do you want to exchange numbers or something so you can keep me in the loop?” Markus pulled out his phone as he said this, noticing she already had hers out.

“I have a GroupMe started, if that’s alright.”

“That works. My username is just my name, both M’s capitalized.” Jona nodded and quickly typed something into her phone. Markus felt his own device vibrate as he received a notification stating he was added to a group.

“Thanks Markus. Hopefully this study group works. See ya.”

Jona waved as she left, leaving Markus to be the last one to exit the classroom. He paused in the hallway, deciding what he wanted to do. The smart thing would be to start preparing for all his upcoming finals while he still had time, but he wasn’t feeling too motivated to do that. Checking his phone, he noticed a group text from Josh.

_Im dying at the cafe someone come save me plz_

Sending back a quick, “_omw_,” Markus began the short trip to the café. Josh had barely replied with a, “_my hero_,” by the time he was opening one of the entrances. The small area was packed, likely due to people trying to get out of the late November cold. He noticed Josh had managed to grab a small table and had a book opened and a pen twirling between his fingers.

“Hey buddy, hard at work?” Josh didn’t look up as Markus took a seat across from him.

“I hate this author so much.”

“Hate is a strong word,” Markus teased, earning a sharp look.

“He’s a British apologist who argues that the British empire was a good thing overall due to the advancements,” Josh added finger quotations around ‘advancements’, “it brought to other countries despite all the bad shit that happened because of it. Like, no dude, the empire sucked.” Markus grimaced and made a disgusted face while Josh nodded.

“Why are you even reading that book?”

“Tates wants us to get the viewpoint of British apologists and critics,” Josh shrugged, using his pen to hold his place as he closed the book. “By the way, do you want anything? I need a refill.”

“Yeah, I can pay though. I have Flex dollars I need to use up before the semester ends. What do you want?”

“A large earl grey would be amazing. Oh, and one of those cheese cup things if they have them.”

“You got it.”

Josh pulled out his phone as Markus stood up. “Thanks sugar daddy.”

Markus rolled his eyes and made his way to where the refrigerators stood, grabbing Josh’s request as well as a turkey sandwich for himself before going to stand in line. He managed to hit it right so he didn’t have to wait too long before he was at the register. Giving the worker his order, he opted to copy Josh’s choice of earl grey tea. Somehow he managed to carry everything back to the table in one trip without burning himself.

“So what’s the plan for today?” Markus asked, taking a huge bite of his sandwich.

“I’m done with African-American Lit, so I just have History of the British Empire left in, like, three hours.” Josh shoved a cheese slice into his mouth.

“You’d be free later tonight?”

“Depends on what you have in mind.”

“Working on the Philosophy of Social Science paper together.”

Josh groaned. “I’ve been trying to put that out of my mind. Probably should start it though.” He ate another cheese slice as Markus took a small sip of his tea. It was still scalding hot.

“I hate the end of the semester,” Josh continued, tapping a finger on the book in front of him. “There’s so much to do in so little time and if you mess up it’s final.”

Markus swallowed another sandwich bite. “Tell me about it. The Politics of the EU final is going to kill me. Apparently Schmidt is going to take the extra time we have into account when grading. Like, no sir, I would like to pass please.”

Josh continued eating as he spoke. “Do a study group, man. The group for the bio class I had to take last year saved my ass.”

Markus nodded, “Yeah, one of the others is setting something up. My problem isn’t remembering stuff though; it’s conveying what I want to say. Like, when I go in to get feedback he always tells me I’m not connecting the dots between the information even though when I’m taking the test I feel like I am.”

“So work on that somehow. Doesn’t the library have people who, like, help you with writing stuff.” Josh finished his food and pushed the empty container aside.

“Yeah, I had to utilize that service when writing my last paper. I have to remember to make an appointment though.” Catching Markus scrunch up his face slightly, Josh grinned.

“What, did they kick you out or something ‘cause you didn’t make one before?”

“No, I just got there right as the guy was finishing his shift. He was super nice though and stayed up with me all night to help me finished the paper. I don’t want to have to go through that again.”

Josh’s eyes widened. “Damn, that was nice. I definitely wouldn’t stay up with some random person to write an essay they had weeks to work on. Maybe like, an hour to give them pointers, but not all night.”

Markus finished his sandwich and was finally able to take a gulp of his tea.

“I wasn’t so random; he’s in the EU class too. Also, according to him, I seemed to be on the brink of some kind of nervous breakdown and he didn’t want to be part of what pushed me over the edge.”

“Listen, at this point in the semester, it’s pretty much every man for himself. If someone I’d never talked to before, even if they were in one of my classes, walked up to me on the brink of a breakdown asking for my help, I’d respond with a ‘Mood,’ give them a pointer or two and then send them on their way.”

“Wow, when did you become so cutthroat?”

“When all my big assignments began to be due.”

Markus snorted before catching something out of the corner of his eye. Seeing Connor walking towards the door, he made a quick decision and called out to him. However, Connor didn’t seem to hear him as he continued out of the café without acknowledging that he heard him at all. Josh, meanwhile, turned to see who Markus was yelling at.

“Friend of yours?” Josh asked as Markus dejectedly looked back towards him.

“Kind of. He’s the guy who helped me out.” Josh continued to look towards the door.

“I think I know him. I didn’t get a good look at him though.”

“Uh, brown hair and eyes. Beauty marks kind of scattered around his face. Hang on.” Grabbing a napkin and a pen from his pocket, Markus began to quickly sketch out Connor’s face. He couldn’t quite remember the placement of the beauty marks, so he just added some where he thought they were. Josh looked at the finished product and hummed.

“Yeah, he led the biology study group I told you about. I think he was a TA or something? He’s also an executive of the Jewish Students’ Association. I thought his name was Cain?”

Markus shrugged, “The guy I know is definitely named Connor. I sent him an email under that name.”

“I could be wrong; I just remember thinking it was an odd name. Also, remind me we need to contact the JSA about possibly sponsoring an event together.”

Nodding, Markus crumpled up the napkin and shoved it into Josh’s empty cheese cup.

“Anyway, this philosophy paper…”

Josh groaned as Markus changed the subject, but pulled out his laptop all the same. “All right, I get the point. Time to work.”

Markus’s schedule conflicted with the first study group time, but he was able to make the second. Walking into the reserved library room he felt exhausted, but hoped his brain still had some capacity to work. With Josh’s help he had managed to write a, in his opinion, fairly good paper for Philosophy of Social Sciences, which had counted as their final. Aside from the EU final, he still needed to prepare for his Human Nature final, and complete the take-home exam for his State and Local Politics course.

He entered the room to find he was the third to have arrived, after Jona and Connor. The former was unpacking some food from a grocery bag while the latter was sitting at the table and flipping through their textbook. Jona looked up at him and gave a small smile while gesturing to the array of treats before her.

“I brought us some brain food. I think we’re all going to be a little brain-dead so hopefully it helps.” Markus looked at the lineup of food (which included biscotti, cookies, and a veggie and ranch platter) and felt his stomach give a small grumble.

“Thanks Jona, this looks great.” Markus put his backpack down on one of the chairs and pulled out his study materials before grabbing a cookie.

“So who all is coming to this session?” he asked as he took a bite.

“Us three, obviously, and Jennie should be arriving soon,” Jona replied before heading over to the room’s chalkboard and picking up a piece of chalk.

“I think it’ll be best if we create a list of topics we want to cover. I was the only one to make it to last week’s study session so I’ll leave it up to you two and Jennie when she gets here.” Markus looked at Connor, who had put aside the textbook in favor of scrolling through his laptop. Noting he wasn’t particularly jumping to add a topic to the list, Markus decided to speak.

“Uh, I guess the Eurocrisis? I’m not confused by it more that I have trouble keeping all the different countries in order for what was happening with them.”

“I have notecards for that! Well, I mean, I have blank notecards we can use to make helpful notecards,” Jona said as she wrote ‘Eurocrisis – countries’ on the chalkboard. “Anything else to add?” They both looked to Connor, who didn’t look up from his laptop but shook his head.

“Okay, well, we can start with this and then if anything else pops up we can study that too.” Grateful that Jona was taking the lead, Markus sat down at the table and pulled out a pen to begin making notecards on the five different countries that received payment from the Troika during the crisis. He was one notecard in – Greece – when Jennie arrived, flustered.

“Sorry I’m late, I got caught up talking to Dr. Bruni.”

“It’s alright, I reserved the room for three hours and I doubt it’d take that long to even go over everything on the final,” Jona replied before gesturing to the food. “And be sure to help yourself!”

Jennie nodded before sitting on the empty seat beside Connor. “So does anyone understand the whole monetary versus fiscal policy? Economics is not my forte,” she asked, still out of breath.

“What don’t you understand about it?” Connor replied, speaking up for the first time since Markus arrived.

“Everything.”

“Do you understand the difference between monetary and fiscal policies in general?”

“Uh…let’s just assume I know nothing about it and go from there.”

Markus turned his focus back to his notecards, but continued to half listen in on Connor explaining the varying concepts to an attentive Jennie and Jona, who had started to dig into the veggie platter she had brought.

After about fifteen minutes, Markus had not only eaten half of the cookies Jona brought but also completed his notecards and was able to turn his full attention to Connor, who finishing up his lecture to the other two.

“So remember that GDP growth and employment, which is important to representatives as it affects re-election, is often in conflict with inflation. It’s easy to remember employment falls under fiscal policy if you remember the re-election aspect. And remember that fiscal has structural problems due to it being more nationally governed than governed by the EU.”

When Connor didn’t continue, Jennie nodded, “Thanks, that did actually help a lot.”

“Your welcome. I am happy to answer any other questions you may have.”

“That was the only thing I was really having problems with.”

“Did you finish your notecards, Markus?” Jona inquired, moving the group’s focus to him.

“Yeah I did, thanks for having them on hand.”

“No problem! Is there anything else someone wants to go over?”

Before anyone could respond, Connor’s phone on the table vibrated loudly. He glanced at it before standing up.

“I have to go.”

“Oh, okay,” Jona looked a little disappointed as Connor packed up his things. “Do you want to take some biscotti with you?”

“No, but thank you for the offer.”

As the door closed behind Connor, Jennie threw a pen at Jona before speaking in an exaggerated imitation of her voice, “Oh Connor, don’t you want to take some biscotti with you?”

Her face suddenly very red, Jona threw the pen back at her while making a shush noise. Markus looked between the two, very confused about the exchange. Noticing this, Jona hid her face in her hands while Jennie began to cackle.

“Ignore her Markus, just ignore her.” Jona’s voice was muffled by her hands.

“…Okay? Should we get back to studying?”

“Yes! Studying!” Ignoring Jennie’s grin, Jona began to flip through her notebook. “Okay, so how about we review all the states that were presented because Schmidt said that info would be fair game for the exam?”

As both Markus and Jennie nodded, Jona continued to talk, reading her notes on Ireland. Markus consulted his own notes to make sure she hadn’t missed something he had written down while also making sure he hadn’t missed anything.

Reviewing all of the EU state presentations completed in class and making sure the three of them all had similar notes didn’t take nearly as long as Markus thought it would and within thirty minutes they had finished. Checking his phone, he noticed four missed texts from North telling him she needed help in the library’s basement. Wary about what she was up to, he began to pack up his things.

“I need to head out, but I wish the two of you luck on the exam.”

The two girls wished him luck as well as he left the room. As he made his way to the elevator he replied to North with a line of question marks. She only responded with a whole block of exclamation marks. Shaking his head slightly at her antics, Markus took the elevator down and nearly jumped when the doors opened and North was immediately doing her best to pull him out.

“Hello to you too. And how the fuck did you know that was me?” She made a sharp shushing noise and began to pull him through the archives situated in the basement. As the came to the end of one of the shelves she suddenly stopped, causing him to crash into her. He waited for her to berate him for it and was surprised when she merely peered around the shelf before jerking her head back. He watched as she typed out a text and felt his own phone vibrate.

_Cute girl help me impress her_

“Oh my god North,” he whispered and she hit his shoulder in response. He stepped around her to also peer around the shelf and see who had North freaking out. He only got a glimpse of pale skin and blonde hair before North sharply pulled him back by the back of his sweater.

“Don’t be fucking weird,” she hissed at him.

“You’re the one being…” she didn’t let him finish before putting a hand over his mouth. He stuck his tongue out to lick her hand and she pulled it back with a look of disgust. North opened her mouth as if to yell at him, but both of them froze as the sound of a chair scrapping against the floor could be heard. Faster than Markus could react, North pushed him to act as a shield between her and the end of the shelves so anyone walking past wouldn’t be able to see her. They both froze as the sound of items being shuffled reached them before silence returned. As North’s grip on him loosened, Markus risked peeking around the shelf again to see the girl gone, but her stuff still set up at the table.

“Okay, we’re in the clear.”  
  
“The fuck does that mean?”

“She left but not fully.” Before North could ask what he meant, Markus left the shelter of the shelves and moved to sit down at a table within eyesight of girl’s table. He gave a pointed look to North, who was watching him with a blank expression. He saw her disappear behind the shelves again and sighed before pulling out his laptop.

After a few moments North returned with her backpack and laptop in hand and sat across from him.

“You suck.”

“I can leave if you want.” Not giving a response, North opened her laptop and began to angrily type, making it a point to avoid looking at him.

“How am I supposed to make you look cool when you look like you’re about to go off on me?” Still refusing to acknowledge him, North pulled out a textbook to reference before continuing to type.

The silent treatment didn’t last long as they soon heard voices steadily growing louder. North kicked him under the table before starting a random conversation she apparently thought would attract the other girl.

“So my latest tattoo is healing nicely. I woke up scratching at it though so hopefully that doesn’t distort it in any way.”

Markus glanced at her over his laptop before going back to his State and Local Politics exam.

“That’s nice to hear. I bet it’s going to scar weirdly now.” He felt North pull her leg back to kick him again but at that point the girl turned around the corner to return to her table and the kick never came.

“Are you sure? That doesn’t seem right.” Markus and North both looked out of the corner of their eye to see two people instead of one.

“I’m sure, but we can look it up if you want.” That voice was very familiar and Markus turned his head slightly to confirm it was Connor talking to her.

“No, I trust you.”

“But now I’m starting to second-guess myself.”

“No! Believe in yourself!”

Markus saw Connor turn towards him and jumped on the opportunity to grab the pair’s attention.

“Hey Connor!” He noticed North tense up as both Connor and his friend turned to look towards them.

“Hello Markus.” When Connor didn’t continue, Markus scrambled to find a topic before they turned away and it would be weird to insert himself into their conversation.

“We’re going out to eat if you want to join us?” He was impressed he managed to keep uncertainty out of his voice as he realized he was slightly escalating the situation. Luckily, North’s back was to Connor and his friend so they couldn’t see her glaring at him.

Connor turned to his partner, who had started to tap at her phone. After she didn’t say anything Connor spoke up.

“We have a meeting in fifteen minutes and it will likely last about an hour.”

Not sure if that was a yes or no, Markus did his best to continue the conversation.

“We could wait for you if you want?” Both Connor’s friend and North replied.

“I’m afraid that won’t work.”

“No, I have a thing.”

The two of them glanced at each other before North abruptly looked to her laptop and began to furiously type. Connor’s friend continued, “The Women and Gender Studies department is throwing a little get together for the end of the semester, so I, at least, won’t be able to join you.”

Realizing Connor was looking at him Markus decided the best option for this conversation was to just commit.

“What about you Connor?”

“I will be available, but I understand if you would prefer to go now with your friend.” Markus was not keeping track of what he’d said in the conversation and had forgotten he apparently already had plans with North.

“Okay, you sure?”

“Yes. Now if you’d excuse us we need to be leaving so we are not late.” His friend nodded once before gathering her things.

“Right. So I’ll see you in EU for the final?”

“Yes.” Markus watched the two of them walk away and as such didn’t notice North’s hand until it was digging into his side.  
“Ah! What the fuck North,” he twisted and jumped away from her, “don’t taze me in the library.”

“I should have asked Rachel to help.” Making sure to step widely around North so he could grab his things off the table, Markus stuck out his tongue at her.

“At least I started a conversation. And I kind of know Connor so there, a gateway to seeing her again.” North closed her laptop and made to follow him to the stairwell.

“I already see her! She’s in my Women Leaders of the 21st Century class and her name’s Chloe and she’s beautiful and somehow always smells good.”

“Okay, you started getting creepy at the end there.”

“Just wait. You’ll meet someone, crush on them, and become hyperaware of everything about them.”

“No I won’t, because when I like someone I don’t creepily watch them from a distance like you.” Markus held the library door open for North as they exited the building.

“Right, you make awkward small talk until they take pity on you. Also, you now owe me a dinner. I’m feeling…. Bird on the Run.” Knowing it would be fruitless to argue with her, Markus threw his head back and began to walk with dramatic sluggishness towards the path leading off campus.

“You look stupid, stop.”

“Never.”

“I hate you.”

“Love you too.”

“We’re not going to make it there and back in time for me to go to the party thing!”

“Fine, but only because I’m feeling generous.” Straightening up, Markus linked arms with North as they made their way to dinner. Maybe with actual food in his stomach, he’ll feel better about the upcoming exams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I started writing this chapter back in March (so about 7 months ago) and have slowly been adding to it, so it's a bit of a Frankenstein piece. If the flow seemed a bit off, that's why and I apologize for it. At this time I knew if I didn't get this chapter out soon I would lose interest/start to hate it so I needed to post it. Also, I meant to cut off at a different point, but again I needed to get this out so forgive me if that was also a little awkward.
> 
> I'll also try to get the next chapter out ASAP, but I am incredibly busy for many reasons so I can't promise how soon that will be. I do have up to chapter 8 planned out though, so I'm hoping that'll help with getting them out sooner. 
> 
> Please leave a review so I know you want to keep reading this!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone: "Markus majors in art!!"
> 
> Me: "That boy is a political philosopher and there's nothing you can say to change my mind." 
> 
> I'm debating whether to link the playlist I listen to for inspiration/while writing this (mainly cause I'd have to figure that out). I also haven't really edited this chapter, so sorry in advanced if there are a ton of mistakes.
> 
> Edit: Fixed the spacing cause it was bothering me.

Markus threw his duffle bag aside and immediately flopped face first onto his bed. The trip back home wasn’t long by any means with the school being in Detroit’s urban area and his house being just on the outskirts of the city, but the hard week he had along with the stress of making sure everything in the apartment was taken care of before he left had worn him down. But he made it through another finals week and had a little over a month to recover before the next semester. 

Simon and North had gone home so they weren’t in the area and Josh was visiting his uncle in Canada, so Markus was one his own in Detroit. Rolling onto his back, Markus started to scroll through his phone looking for anyone to hang out with over break. He didn’t just want to sit around for the whole month and waste his free time. 

Moving from his contacts to Snapchat, Markus accidently tapped the ‘add friend’ button, taking him to the quick add section. He went to swipe back to the friend list but paused as he saw a familiar looking Bitmoji. Seeing the name Connor Stern listed, Markus hit the ‘add’ button before swiping out. He took a quick pic of his ceiling and added a caption asking if anyone was in Detroit and wanted to hang out over break before adding it to his story. Tossing his phone aside, he let himself doze off. 

When Markus woke up, he checked his phone to see that two hours had passed. Rolling off the bed, he made his way downstairs to find something to eat. As he pulled out some acorn squash and started the oven, Markus couldn’t help but appreciate being back home where there was actual fresh food and he didn’t have to live off instant food and pasta. He prepared the squash before slicing it into strips, coated the strips in maple butter, and put it into a pan to bake. Another good thing was he had proper cookware, opposed to using tinfoil to create make-shift pans on a baking sheet. 

Unlocking his phone as he waited for his squash to bake, Markus saw Connor had accepted his friend request. Noticing Connor had stuff added to his story, he tapped on it partly out of curiosity and partly because he didn’t have anything else to do. 

First was a video obviously taken by someone who wasn’t Connor as he was lounging on a couch appearing to be asleep with a caption ‘Finals killed him’. Markus watched as the video slowly zoomed in and at the end Connor’s head jolted up and he stared at the camera for less than a second before the video cut off. It took Markus a moment to realize Connor also appeared to have a face mask on. As the video began to replay, Markus turned on the sound to hear a familiar voice he couldn’t place saying “Connor” repeatedly while giggling until the end when he woke up. Swiping left, Markus was shown a picture of Chloe and Connor sticking out their tongues, both with face masks on and a dog filter. Markus noted it was Chloe also taking the picture based on how her arm was positioned. He swiped left again just to come upon an ad. Quickly exiting out, he continued to look at people’s stories. Josh had a blurry shot of the Canadian-US border while North had a picture of the inside of the bus she was on. Simon rarely used Snapchat so Markus skipped his name and continued down the list. Most of people’s stories, he noted, were around them traveling home for break. 

Hearing his timer go off, he pulled out the tray to flip the squash before putting it back in the oven. He grabbed his phone again and left Snapchat to check Facebook. He didn’t really use it anymore as social media, but more to see what events were happening around Detroit. The Historical Museum was hosting a winter gala while the Institute of Arts had a special showing dedicated to Audrey Hepburn. Hitting ‘Interested’ for both events, Markus moved to Belle Isle’s website to see what winter festivals they were hosting this year. The conservancy had the usual New Year’s Eve party occurring and an ice rink was being made within walking distance of the conservancy. Mentally marking that in his mind, Markus noticed the timer about to go off and pulled out his snack. 

Quickly moving the squash to a plate, he moved all the dirty dishes to the dishwasher before heading to the living room. Sitting on the couch, Markus turned on the television and began to flip through Hulu. Settling on a show, he began to eat while scrolling back through his phone. He saw a text from Josh saying he’d be back in Detroit just in time for the holidays which gave Markus two weeks without any of his close friends in town. He also saw a few people replied to his Snap, all saying they’d be out of town either for the whole winter break or would be busy and uncertain if they could hang out. Feeling disappointed, he put his phone aside and instead focused on the show in front of him. After finishing the squash, he put the dish on the coffee table and fully laid down on the couch, pulling a blanket over him. As an episode finished and the next one began, Markus felt himself drifting off and didn’t fight it. 

The next morning Markus was immediately disorientated and it took a few seconds for his brain to remember where he was. Shaking off his confusion, he checked the time to see it was nearing 8 AM. He was still feeling groggy but knew if he went back to sleep, he’d be down for the count until at least noon. Not wanting to mess up his sleep schedule on the first day of vacation, he summoned the willpower to get off the couch and head to the kitchen. After getting coffee started, he pulled out eggs, peppers, and basic herbs and began to stir up some omelets. Within fifteen minutes he was transferring the last omelet to a plate. He sent a text to his dad telling him to come down for breakfast, poured two cups of coffee, and started to move everything to the breakfast nook. 

He had made it halfway through his first omelet when Carl rolled in, still dressed in his pajamas. 

“What’s the point of being on break if you don’t sleep in and enjoy the time off?” 

“I’d rather not become nocturnal like North did last summer. Our first week back I couldn’t tell if she was going to kill everyone around her or herself.” 

Letting out a small chuckle, Carl pulled up to the table and took a bite of his serving. 

“God I’ve missed your cooking. Are you sure you want to keep going to college instead of staying home and cooking for me?” 

He rolled his eyes before answering, “Aren’t you the one who argued I should get an education and live my life instead of being trapped here taking care of you for the rest of time?” The topic, which had once been the source of some of his and Carl’s biggest arguments, had turned into almost an inside joke between them. 

“Well, the job is still open should you change your mind.” 

“Sure, old man. I’ll consider it.” The sarcasm was heavy in his tone. 

Carl scoffed before continuing to eat. 

“So how was the semester? Learn new things? Meet new people? Go to a bunch of parties and get wasted?” 

“Come on, where would I even get alcohol?” 

“The parties I mentioned would likely be serving it by the bottle.” Markus snorted and took a bite of his food before responding. 

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m not as rambunctious as you were when you were my age. And the parties at school suck.” 

Carl’s tone was playful, “Ah, I see you’re not only a rule follower, but a man of higher tastes. Were the parties too common for you?” 

“I’m not awake enough to deal with your teasing right now.” 

“Okay, I’ll try again after you’ve finished your coffee.” 

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, just continuing to eat until Carl spoke up again. 

“So, any plans for break, or are you just going to laze around the house collecting a stink?” 

Markus shrugged, “No one is really in Detroit, so I don’t know.” 

“You don’t need friends to go out and do things, Markus.” 

“I know, but I’d feel weird going out to what are clearly group activities as an individual. Social norms and everything....” 

Carl gave him a look. “So break those social norms. Go out and have fun while you’re young and have the time.” 

Markus opened his mouth to argue but decided against it and instead leaned back against the wall. His father had a point, but at the same time he was still apprehensive. Social norms were part of what dictated society and when they were broken it was uncomfortable for everyone. But, he wouldn’t be harming anyone by breaking that social norm and it was actually very reasonable for someone to do an activity by themselves. 

“Make sure your ‘social norms’ also aren’t simply you overthinking everything and letting anxiety take you over.” Carl left him with those words of wisdom as he took the now empty plates to the dishwasher and started the cycle. 

Markus realized Carl was right. He was going somewhere alone, not facing backward in an elevator or standing too close to someone at a bus stop. Finishing off his coffee, he decided to just relax but keep his options open. He also was planning on trying to get some painting done while he was home and had the time, and there were a few books he had been meaning to read. As he thought about it, he realized he had lots of options for things he could do without even having to leave the house. With that in mind, he refilled his mug before heading to the art studio to begin sketching out some ideas for his next paintings. 

A week and a half later Markus was still in the studio. He would leave to take care of his necessities, but otherwise he was living out of the room as he continued to work vigorously on his next big project. The canvas itself was nearly as tall as he was and almost twice as wide, which made it a little difficult to work with, but he managed. His original idea was a basic portrait to practice his shading and anatomy, but it changed when he read a chapter of Fanon’s _Black Skin, White Masks _while taking a break into something more. It was still a portrait but he was adding deeper meaning to it. Or, at least, he was trying to. 

Letting out a tired sigh, Markus put down his brush and sat on a nearby stool. In his mind he knew the more he stressed about the painting the worse his art block would become, but he still couldn’t tear himself away from it. He felt if he did, then what little grasp he had on the idea would slip away. 

That’s how Carl found him, sitting slumped on the stool with tired eyes searching the drying paint as if it held all the answers he needed. 

“You’ve got a stink about you, Markus.” He didn’t look away from the canvas. 

“I’ve been showering.” 

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Carl’s tone wasn’t harsh, but Markus knew he was about to be lectured. “You’ve been holed up in here for too long, it’s not healthy. And take it from me, you staring at the painting isn’t going to help you finish it. In fact, it’ll likely make it take longer.” 

“I know, I know.” 

Carl gave him a few more moments before continuing, “I didn’t want to do this, but I’m reverse grounding you.” 

Markus’s face scrunched up in confusion as he finally turned towards his father. 

“What?” 

“I’m reverse grounding you. I’m kicking you out of the house until.... six. Go get dressed and get out.” 

“You can’t be serious.” 

“I am. Now go.” Carl didn’t leave room for argument as he waved Markus out of the studio. 

Feeling almost dazed, Markus allowed himself to be ushered out and towards the stairs. It didn’t take him long to become presentable and within ten minutes he was standing on the front porch with the door locking behind him. Pulling out his phone, he called a Lyft and set the destination for Belle Isle. It was a Tuesday so he hoped there wouldn’t be too many people there. 

His driver was an interesting person who had recently moved from New Orleans and had a lot of opinions about Northern drivers and snow. When his ride came to an end Markus made sure to tip well before heading towards the conservancy. He had debated going ice skating but considering he hadn’t done it in years he didn’t feel confident in his ability to not make a fool of himself. He wouldn’t be worrying so much about his abilities, or lack thereof, if he wasn’t alone but he was. 

The ice rink still caught his eye as he walked past. The lights weren’t on yet as the sun was still in the sky, but it was covered in extravagant decorations. He was so caught up in looking at the set-up he didn’t pay attention to where he was going until it was too late. 

He felt himself clip someone’s shoulder and when he turned to apologize, he saw the drink they were carrying hit the ground. 

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” When they turned he saw a familiar pair of blue eyes look at him in confusion. 

“Wait, Chloe?” Her brow furrowed for a moment before recognition crossed her face. 

“Oh, North’s friend from the library!” 

“Yeah, Markus,” he gestured to himself. “I’m sorry, I should have been paying more attention to where I was going.” 

“Oh no, I wasn’t really watching out either.” Markus still felt guilty, not sure if she was just saying that. 

“Can I at least pay for a new drink? It’s the least I can do.” 

Chloe shifted her weight from one foot to the other before nodding. 

“Alright, if you have the time to stand in line. I don’t want to inconvenience you.” 

“Trust me, I don’t have anything else to do.” 

As Markus followed her to the drink stand, an almost awkward silence fell between them. Or at least Markus felt it was awkward; Chloe didn’t seem bothered that they weren’t talking. 

“So, are you here to skate?” 

She nodded, “Among other things.” She didn’t continue and Markus wasn’t sure if he should ask her to elaborate or not. As they got in line he did his best to keep the conversation going. 

“Are you here with anyone or are you on your own?” 

"I’m here with someone.” She paused a moment. “What about you?” 

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Markus considered lying for a moment. 

“I’m by myself. I got kicked out for the evening and didn’t really know where else to go.” 

She didn't respond, instead texting a message to someone. She continued to watch her phone until a few seconds later. 

“Do you want to hang out with us?” 

Markus was grateful they were interrupted as they made it to the counter and Chloe turned her attention to the barista so he had time to process the question. He waited as she ordered before handing his card to the cashier. 

“Uh, sure. Who else is here?” They moved to the side as her drink was prepared so the next person could order. 

“It’s just Connor and me. You would make three.” Her voice tilted up at the end of the sentence and as she gave him a smile Markus could see why North liked her. 

“Okay, yeah. I definitely prefer that to just wandering around like a ghost.” Chloe giggled as she grabbed her drink. Markus followed her as they made their way towards the area set up with seating and tables. 

“We were going to go skating before walking through the conservancy and viewing their winter set up.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

As they approached their destination, Markus saw Connor on his phone sitting at a table with a drink and two bags. 

“So why were you kicked out?” Chloe’s question slightly startled him. 

“I’ve been working on a project since break started that hasn’t been going too great. My dad kicked me out to try to clear my head, and I think he was just tired of me never leaving his studio.” 

Chloe nodded thoughtfully, “It’s always best to take breaks. Otherwise you’ll reach burn out.” 

Reaching the table, Chloe sat down next to Connor and Markus decided to sit across from him. 

“Hello Markus.” 

“Hey Connor. How’s your break going?” Connor tilted his head and took a moment to respond. 

“It’s going alright. I haven’t been as productive as I would have liked, but other than that I have no complaints.” 

“Yeah, same here.” A silence fell over the group and Markus fell into himself a little. Chloe and Connor didn’t seem to notice as they both scrolled through their phones. He felt out of place with them, not just because he was technically an unplanned third wheel, but they both seemed so...immaculate. Both were dressed in clothes fit for an interview and didn’t seem to have a hair out of place while Markus was regretting not showering before he left. 

“So Chloe,” she looked up at him, “what major are you?” At this point Markus was mainly trying to make conversation, but he was also curious about the duo. He realized he didn’t actually know anything about them aside from their names. 

“I’m double majoring in Business and Women and Gender Studies. I’m also on the path to receive the Women’s Leadership Certificate and the International Certificate. What about you?” 

Markus was speechless for a second but quickly regained his thoughts. 

“Oh, I’m just majoring in Political Philosophy. How the fuck do you manage such a workload?” 

She giggled before responding, “I make a lot of lists and planning and make sure I follow my schedule.” Markus was almost certain he was gaping at her as Connor jumped into the conversation. 

“She’s also Executive Secretary of student government and President of the JSA.” 

Markus did his best to school expression back to a more neutral one as Chloe pinched Connor while making a _ tsk _sound. 

“Let me ask again, how _the fuck _do you manage that workload?” She smiled and shrugged at him. Despite still trying to wrap his mind around how she hasn’t keeled over, he turned to Connor. 

“What about you?” 

Connor’s head tilted forward slightly as he answered, “I’m double majoring in Public Policy and Criminology.” Before Markus could respond Chloe began to speak. 

“He’s also Vice President of the JSA, founder and President of the Criminology club, and a research assistant for Dr. Bayer.” Markus nearly missed Connor’s mouth quirking down as he once again felt amazed by the pair. 

“I believe I am ready to go ice skating.” Connor stood up abruptly as his friend giggled and followed his lead. Markus remained seated. 

“You two go ahead, I’m not sure I even know how to ice skate anymore it’s been so long.” Connor tilted his head slightly to the right while Chloe paused. 

“Are you sure? I’m sure it’s just like riding a bike; you’ll remember how to do it once you start.” 

Markus turned to look at the rink. There were only a few people on it, mainly parents guiding young children around. 

“Alright, I’ll do it. Just don’t laugh when I fall.” 

Chloe smiled at him, “We wouldn’t dream of it.” 

As Markus made his way to the skate rental, he sent a quick text to Josh. 

_ Im __with the __pres __and vice __pres __of the JSA if you want me to set something up _

He was surprised when Josh replied almost instantly. 

_ Dude its break chill _

Slipping his phone back into his jacket, Markus stepped up to get a pair of ice skates before walking to a bench by the entrance of the rink where the other two were sitting. Noticing they brought their own skates he asked them, “So do you guys go skating often?” 

Chloe was the one to answer. “We used to go all the time in middle school – about twice a week. In high school it went down to about twice a month and now with university we haven’t really had time to skate unless it’s break.” 

“You two have known each other since middle school?” 

“Elementary school, actually. And our families go to the same synagogue so I guess you could say we also knew each other through that.” 

Chloe and Connor finished lacing up their skates in nearly half the time it took Markus. As both Connor and Markus stood up, Chloe remained seated. 

“You two go ahead, I want to finish my drink.” She gestured towards the cup she had been carrying with her. Connor nodded while Markus froze. Despite having a longer history with Connor, he felt more comfortable having Chloe as a buffer. She was noticeably more sociable than her friend and Markus didn’t know what to do with the silences that seemed to occur whenever he talked to Connor. He also didn’t know how to insist staying with Chloe without being rude to Connor. 

“Are you sure? I’m fine with waiting.” Chloe nodded and Markus began to wrack his brain for what to talk to Connor about as he followed him to the entrance of the rink. He didn’t expect Connor to be the one to start the conversation. 

“How did you find your final Politics of the EU grade?” 

Markus’s mind blanked. 

“Do you mean where I found it?” 

Connor’s mouth twitched as he stepped onto the ice. 

“Were you happy with your grade?” Markus was a lot less confident entering the rink and immediately grabbed onto the wall. 

“Yeah, I guess so? I got a solid ‘B’ which I wasn’t expecting.” Connor nodded and that was apparently the end of the conversation. 

Markus continued to hold onto the wall for balance as he tried to remember the proper foot movements for skating. Connor skated calmly beside him, hands in his coat pockets, making it look like the easiest thing in the world. Looking towards him, Markus began to try to mimic what he was doing. Almost immediately he lost his balance and gripped the wall tighter as his foot slid. 

“Do you want help?” 

Markus sighed, “Yes please.” 

He paused as Connor did a smooth turn so he was in front of Markus before pulling gloves out of his pocket. 

He put them on as he spoke, “The wall will hinder your ability to gain a proper balance. I’ll guide you until you remember how to shift your balance with your movement.” Connor held out his hands towards him and Markus looked at them skeptically. The wall was much sturdier than Connor, who didn’t look like he’d be able to prevent Markus from falling. 

“Don’t worry, I will be able to help rebalance you before you fall.” 

Despite his instincts screaming at him it was a bad idea, Markus slowly shifted from holding onto the wall to a vice-like grip on Connor’s gloved hands. Connor began to skate backwards, pulling him along. Markus did his best to propel himself forward but was still worried about comfortably shifting his weight from foot to foot. This method was more comfortable, but they were moving even slower than before. They had barely made it halfway around the rink before Chloe skated up beside them. 

“Have you ever roller-bladed Markus?” 

Confused by the question and putting most of his attention on not falling, it took Markus a few moments to respond. 

“Not since middle school. Why?” 

“It’s very similar to ice skating so any experience would help.” 

At that moment, the front of Markus’s left blade caught on the ice and he felt himself trip forward. He panicked as Connor’s hands let go of his, but not even a heartbeat later he felt Connor grip his elbows, forcing Markus to grab his forearms. Markus looked up at Connor with wide eyes, surprised he had managed to steady him. 

“I told you not to worry.” His shock increased when Connor gave a crooked smile and winked at him before moving his grip back to Markus’s hands and reverting to the neutral expression he had been wearing since Markus had joined them. 

“I left our bags at the rental stand.” Chloe continued with the conversation as if Markus hadn’t tripped, for which he was grateful. 

As they completed their first lap around the rink, Markus reluctantly pulled his hands away from Connor’s. 

“If you two want to go ahead, I think I can manage on my own.” 

“Are you sure?” asked Chloe. 

“Yeah, I think I can keep myself going while you two do a few laps yourself.” He didn’t want to slow them down and keep them from having fun, but he felt if he mentioned this Chloe, at least, would insist on staying with him. 

She looked at Connor, who shrugged. 

“Alright. Have fun!” 

As the two of them skated off, he slowly made his way towards the rink door. Once outside, he stood at the wall to watch the two of them. They had moved towards the center of the rink, which was reserved for the more advanced skaters. He watched as they skated around one another, performing spins and jumps. His jaw nearly dropped when Connor picked up Chloe and spun multiple times before releasing her back onto the ice. It was beginning to get dark when the two skated back to him. 

“Are you done skating Markus?” Grateful Chloe didn’t seem to notice he immediately left the ice once they had split up, he nodded. 

“Okay, then I guess it’s time to head to the conservancy.” 

The three of them made their way to the skate rental booth. Markus let Chloe and Connor go before him to retrieve their bags as he unlaced and removed his skates. Once he had his normal shoes on, it took him a few steps to get used to not be walking on blades. 

“So did you guys take skating lessons when you were younger? You did some pretty impressive stuff out there.” 

“Nope. One day we were tired of just skating in circles and decided to try some more advanced moves.” Chloe made it sound so easy; they just decided one day to be better at ice skating and were. Though, from his impressions and what he knew about them, it wasn’t that surprising anymore. The lights surrounding the rink turned on as they walked past it. 

“The conservancy is closed.” Chloe and Markus both turned to Connor, who had pulled out his phone. He turned it towards them to show the time, just after five. 

“Oh no,” Chloe gasped, her mouth down turning into a frown. Her brow furrowed as she stared intently at the phone, as if trying to will the time to turn back. Markus waited for one of them to say something, but when neither did he spoke up, “Do you want to go to an arcade instead?” 

They both turned to him and he continued, “There’s one just off the isle. We can take a bus and be there in fifteen minutes max.” Chloe looked to Connor who shrugged with a bob of his head. 

“Okay, let’s do that!” 

Markus took out his own phone and pulled up the bus schedule with the stops. He led the way to the closest stop, leaving the other two to trail behind him. He talked to fill the silence. 

“I’ve been here a few times. It’s a pretty neat place and stays open late. There’s also one of those late-night cookie shops like right next door to it, which is nice when you’re there at like, midnight, and all the places around them are closed.” 

“So I take it you’ve been there around midnight and wanted food?” Markus turned to shoot a small smile at Chloe. 

“Yeah, pretty much every time I’ve been there it’s been pretty late.” 

“Well, now you get to break that routine.” 

“True.” 

They managed to arrive at the stop as the last of a line of people was getting on the bus. Markus entered first, swiped his student ID, and scanned for open seats. Not seeing any, he continued forward slightly before grabbing onto one of the overhead bars. Connor came up behind him and Chloe brought up the rear. She was too short to reach the bars and instead held onto Connor’s arm. 

As the bus pulled away from the stop and began to drive across the bridge connecting Belle Isle to the mainland, he Snapped a quick pic of Connor and Chloe, who were conversing quietly among themselves, and sent it to North and Josh. The rest of the short journey he spent staring out at the lights reflecting off the river and counting the few stops between when they got on and when they needed to get off. When the time came, he motioned it was their stop and made his way to the front. When the vehicle came to a stop the three of them thanked the driver as they exited, and Connor and Chloe looked to him. 

“It’s right here.” He gestured to a building front lit up with flashing neon lights. They entered it and he saw Connor quickly scan the layout. He gestured them over to the coin machines. 

“It’s simple, you just put in your card, input the amount you want, and out come coins.” They each started with ten dollars' worth. As soon as he had his coins Connor left them. Chloe shook her head slightly while smiling and followed him. Markus followed her and turned around a machine to see both at the skee-ball machine. He watched as Connor got a perfect score and Chloe receive a nearly perfect score. 

“Are you two great at everything?” He didn’t realize he had said that out loud until they both turned to look at him. Connor’s brow furrowed as he tilted his head to the side and Chloe frowned slightly. 

“Of course not,” she switched to a smile, “we just really like skee-ball.” Markus nodded, embarrassed. He really didn’t mean to say that thought, much less where they could hear it. 

He broke off from them for a while after that, going to play his favorite games of classic pinball and Oceanhorn 2. After about an hour he found them facing off in Mortal Kombat X. He watched as they conducted an extremely close match, but Chloe managed to win with an expert level execution combo. The two of them spun around on their stools to face him. 

“I’m out of coins. I don’t know if you guys want to continue or head out. Either is fine with me.” 

Chloe answered, “We still have some coins and were planning on moving onto air hockey next.” Markus nodded and followed them to the next game. 

He took a seat at a game near the table and watched as they inputted their coins. The puck was released, and the match began. As he watched them go back and forth, he quickly noticed that Connor was much better than Chloe. However, she quickly began to cheat, laying her arms in front of her goal so the puck had no chance of entering. 

Connor didn’t seem upset, instead he smiled and switched his tactic to trying to toss the puck in like a frisbee. Chloe laughed, shifting so her goal could barely be seen under her arms. Markus was curious to see how Connor responded. He wasn’t expecting him to simply say, “Let me in.” When Chloe giggled and shook her head, Connor widened his stance, threw his head back and began to almost yell, “Let me _ in _,” before collapsing into a fit of chuckles himself. 

Markus let out shocked laughter, not expecting Connor of all people to be a memer. The timer on the table ran out, letting off an airhorn sound. Chloe turned towards Markus, still giggling. 

“I think we’re ready for cookies.” He nodded and led them outside and a few doors down. 

As they entered and were hit with the smell of freshly baked cookies his mouth began to water. He stepped up to the register and ordered a box of six chocolate chip cookies and a medium lemon tea before moving aside to grab a spot at the bar by the counter. After Chloe and Connor ordered – Chloe asking for a vanilla ice cream sandwich with chocolate covered mint cookies and Connor getting two M&M cookies and a bottle of milk – they joined him. The bar didn’t have any seats, so they had to stand. It didn’t take long for their orders to be ready and Markus happily bit into the warm cookie. 

They ate in silence until Chloe spoke, “I’ll be right back.” Markus glanced at her briefly as she headed in the directions of the bathrooms. Looking at his phone, he saw Josh and North had responded to his Snap. Josh’s was a pic of what appeared to be Shephard's Pie, and North was of her face with a caption, “Gone not even for a month and you replace us.” Markus looked up at Connor. 

“Hey, do you mind if I take a Snap of you?” Connor shook his head and Markus quickly took a pic of him, making sure to show off the place they were eating at. Sending it to North, he slid his phone back into his jacket. 

He felt Connor lean closer to him and turned to look at him. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” 

Confused, Markus gave a slightly unsure nod. 

“M&M cookies are my favorite.” With that, Connor straightened up and began to examine the different types of cookies on the menu. Not sure how to respond, Markus was sure his face showed his confusion. He didn’t have long to be too perplexed before Chloe returned. 

“I ordered a Lyft. You’re welcomed to join us Markus, though I don’t know your address so you might just have to come back to my house.” 

“It’s fine, I can just order my own.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah. It’s about time for me to be getting home anyways as my ‘reverse grounding’ is over.” As he said this, Markus pulled out his phone and sent the Lyft request. 

“Okay, well our ride is here. Get home safely!” He waved to Chloe and Connor as they left the store. His ride was still about five minutes away and he didn’t want to stand in the cold, so he remained inside until it arrived. The ride back to his house was quiet – he spent most of his time on his phone and the driver seemed to take this as a sign he didn’t want to talk. 

Carl rolled up to him as he removed his coat and hung it in the coat closet. 

“So how did your reverse grounding go?” Markus thought about the day he had hanging out with Chloe and Connor. The duo seemed too perfect to be human and were incredibly perplexing – Connor especially. He still didn’t know what to think of the ‘secret’ shared with him. 

“It went pretty alright. I still don’t know if I’ll be able to finish my painting though.” 

Carl snorted, “One night on the town isn’t going to cure your art block, but it’s a start.” Markus nodded and headed to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the if the ending seemed really rushed, that's because it was. I ended up having to cut some stuff out, but I wanted to get this chapter out now as November is going to kill me. I'm currently working on my undergrad thesis (and for some reason I chose a really time-consuming topic) and a pretty intense research paper. That on top of a lot of other things going on, I'm afraid this story is going to have to be moved to the back burner for the moment. I hopefully will be able to get the next chapter out around mid-December. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this update none the less! And thank you so much for the encouraging comments on the last chapter, I read over them again whenever I needed motivation to work on this chapter.


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